"[Senate Majority Leader Mitch] McConnell said he wanted to move to trade in the next two or three weeks … maybe he can, but I don't think he's going to have an easy time doing it, because I will not let him do that," Reid said in an interview with the Huffington Post. His comments were later confirmed to Inside U.S. Trade by a spokesman.

The Senate Democratic leadership could block the Senate from taking up a TPA bill by rounding up 41 votes needed to prevent cloture on a motion to proceed to the legislation. The Senate Democratic Caucus consists of 44 Democrats and two Independents.